Bank of the West Wealth Management has inaugurated a new centre in Palo Alto in California.

Already present in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and California, this is the bank's twelfth Wealth Management centre in the US.

"The opening of this new centre in the heart of Silicon Valley is part of a deliberate plan, alongside Bank of the West Wealth Management, our representative in the US, to strengthen our activity in this privileged region, at the epicentre of innovation and leading edge technology", says Sofia Merlo, Co-CEO of BNP Paribas Wealth Management.

A team of private banking advisors and Wealth Management professionals will offer a comprehensive range of exclusive, personalised wealth management services specifically tailored to HNW and UHNW* private banking clients, including private individuals, families, entrepreneurs and business leaders living or working in Silicon Valley.

"The opening of this new centre in Silicon Valley also underscores our commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and international networking. During the Palo Alto inauguration, we took the opportunity to also welcome 24 women entrepreneurs from seven different countries to the Stanford campus as part of the "Women Entrepreneur Program", adds Sofia Merlo.

About the “Women Entrepreneur Program"

As part of its role in promoting women entrepreneurs, BNP Paribas Wealth Management launched the "Women Entrepreneur Program" in Stanford between 12 and 17 July 2015.

A group of 24 women entrepreneurs from Europe, Asia and the US, representing international, high growth companies, participated in an exclusive suite of courses and conferences given by teachers from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in Palo Alto.

About BNP Paribas Wealth Management

BNP Paribas Wealth Management is a leading global private bank and #1 Private Bank in the Eurozone. Present in some 30 countries and in every major financial center, over 6,300 professionals, provide a private investor clientele with solutions for optimizing and managing their assets. The bank has €332 billion worth of assets under management (as at end March 2015).

About Bank of the West

Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $70.9 billion in assets as of March 31, 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees.

Bank of the West Wealth Management provides wealth planning, investment management personal banking and trust services. The group is part of BNP Paribas' global wealth management business with $15.5 billion as of June 2015 in assets under management in the United States.

HNW and UHNW*: High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth

Photos of the Palo Alto centre and of the inauguration are available on request